So, I was jamming w/my drummer buddy,and got to talking.Given the unique relationship between bassists and drummers,both of us have lists in our heads ,me a list of favorite drummers,and he fave bassists. So I got to thinking,my list has the usuals;Neil Peart ,Vinnie Caliauta,Omar Hakim,Stewert Copeland,Gavin Harrison,and some that I just like;the original drummer from the Pretenders,Herb from Primus,Futureman,the drummer from Dave Mathews etc,etc. My question...who is on your list?My list only scratches the surface.I could easily add 20 more if I thought about it.Who would you like to jam with if you could jam w/anybody?

If I could jam with anybody, it would be Jimi Hendrix & Mitch Mitchell! Or how about Jerry Garcia and Jack DeJohnette?!!

And of course, the drummer who has influenced me the most is my friend Greg DeGuglielmo, and he is someone I have been fortunate to actually play with a lot. He's on all my recordings, he can rock & he can improvise and is always very musical - a lot of times I take just his drum track and create a whole new song out of it!

Drummers . . . . I often think they're the hardest instrument to learn: You're making music on something that's NOT musical.

I've played with two kinds: I had what I called 'time' drummers. These guys were like the ultimate drum machines, ferocious swing and groove, but they were all time-based, not so much that particular tune, but you could double-check a good watch by their time.

Then I'd play with more musical drummers. Had the chops and the grooves, but often I could hear them playing lines that the they were lifting straight from other parts, inside of their groove they were playing. This is where I put 2+2 together that the rudiments really were like scales for the rest of us: I'd hear a paradiddle or a flam here and there, and the light came on. Especially if he could 'breathe' the time in and out in spots of a tune, then snap back right in on the next downbeat. Amazing.

I practiced with a metronome for years when I played piano, so I was a SOB if I wound up on a club gig with someone with wandering time . . .

For me, there was nobody like Jeff Porcaro. I still listen to that drum line in Toto's 'Pamela' and just am drawn like a moth to a flame . . . . there's so many I admired, I'd be here all day.

In no particular order of preference: Peter Erskine, Jack Dejohnette, Tony Williams, Bobby Columby, (if one forgets his days as a reporter for ET), Danny Seraphine, Aynsley Dunbar, Art Blakey, and Paul Motian. And I'd add Airto Moreira if one is permitted to include a percussionist.

I'm going to add Stewart Copeland to my list - a superb cymbal player. I've also wanted to play with a mate of mine - Geordie Clark from The Force but I moved from the north east 30 years ago and he didn't so it's unlikely to happen.

Wishbass, that drummer would Ian Mosley, yes he's still with them (and playing spectacularly to this day) and he's also on my wishlist, along with the usual suspects Neil Peart, Bill Bruford, Alan white (Hey, he had to learn Bill Bruford's stuff in 2 weeks!)Phil Collins, Nick D'virgillio, Gavin Harrison

Thanks Ken!That album was so magical.I really need to check out the" post-Fish"Marillion.I've heard some stuff here and there and like what I've heard.I recently Discovered a band called Riverside(they are a must) that really got started from their love of Marillion,and that has inspired me to start making some Marillion purchases,as well as Fish's solo work.

I played in a band in the early 1980's that the Bellamy Brothers drummer sat in with. Usually, we all left the stage for the drummers solo, but when he started, I could clearly hear the melody of the song in his solo. I stopped dead i my tracks to listen to this amazing display of musicianship! Nothing flashy, just music.

From Wiki,"Giles orchestrated much of the compositional structure of the first Crimson album In the Court of the Crimson King,[1] and his ability to weave challenging yet seamless tempo changes and subtle melodic deviations into a piece is not only evident in the compositions, but also in his highly elaborate and skilled drumming. He was most notably the first rock drummer to use more than one bass drum, so that he could play faster beats using those drums."

Isn't amazing?Beautiful, the attention to detail is wonderful.My drummer friend Todd that I mentioned earlier,buys, restores, and sells kits.He has 35 kits in his inventory right now,everything from Ludwig Ringos,to Peter Criss Pearls (with concert toms!),the Ludwig clears that Bohnam played,Tamas,Sonors,Gretch,cocktail kits,plus a private collection of about 15 snares from the 40's to the present.He loves them all,big and small. It's funny how you'll see discussion amoung musicians about "all you need".I've seen Rush 4 times and every concert vid they have.Every part of his kit is used.True not everyone can tell the difference between a 22" ride and a24" ride(I love big rides)but Neil can,and that's what he hears in his head where the music happens. I've also seen guys playing cocktail kits(in rock music) that FILLED the room. There is now right or wrong; 4st,5st,6st....big kit,little kit.....I love them all! (This is not a comment on anyones post,I just got caught up in some of the comments on allthese Youtube vids)

Both actually! On a different note,I'm away from the computer.Could you post Gavin Harrison "Cymbals" from youtube?He is so good.Aside from Porqupine Tree he also played with King Crimson(and many others). He' the first new to me drummer to really stand out. Thanks Harry!

How about Gilson Lavis with Jools Holland. Saw him again last night at Warwick Arts Centre UK. He is 60 in June! and he and the band were outstanding and especially Louise Marshall, vocalist. 2 hour non-stop show.

If we're allowing Ghosts I'd go for either Carlos Vega or Keith Moon. Wildly different players but I bet jamming with them would have been fun. Incidentally the UK olympics committee apparently approached the WHO's management to see if Keith would be available to play at this year's opening ceremony.

Played once with a guy who had a rosewood set of Sonors (back in the 80's when they got a lot of mileage as Steve Smith was using them with Journey, a terrific drummer), they sounded amazing.

Of course back in the day, nobody ran double heads. Drum 'fashion' comes and goes just like guitars. They always sounded like phone books, just never got that resonance you get with both rims/heads, and tuning both ends separated the men from the boys. I always remember those open kick drums (26's !), usually with a gnarly looking pillow in the bottom with a Shure, or better yet on of the old AKG's that looked like an electric razor, what a kick mic !

Yellow kevlar snare heads ! I played with a guy that BROKE one, my ear is still ringing on that side. Remo pinstripes. Joe Morello sticks. Guys would come in the music store and r-o-l-l them across the counter to get straight ones, sigh . . . Ghost pedals.

After I came to Nashville, I became friends with Willie Cantu, who played with Buck Owens for forever (all of his hits, as well as the Carnegie Hall set, and amazingly a fabulous straight Jazz drummer). Willie still has and uses his Rogers kits from the days when Leo Fender let Buck and his boys have anything they wanted. His favorite snare is two Rogers metal snares: Two shells, the top one with the top head, and the bottom on with the head and snare strainer on the bottom, joined in the middle with lugs so there's a 'vent' all the way around between the two: Magic, in his hands.

I remember when the market began to swing away from Ludwig and Rogers, to TAMA and DW and I remember what a big deal when Yamaha rolled out the Recording Custom kits. Remember those floor toms that had the detuning pedal like tympani?

We were running late for a gig, so I set up the drummer's kit as he was gonna get there just in time to sit down and blow. He had a Ludwig OctaPlus, one of those giant double kick kits with 2 floor, and SIX flying toms. Plus this was before racks, so there were LOTS of stands. I knew the setup (I thought!) and when he walked in, he was thrilled . . . . until half-way throught the first verse of the first tune in the set: He was 6'6", and had arms like Mr. Fantastic. I'd set it up where the reach felt fine for ME without knowing it was WAY too close for him! We got it stretched out for him, and I learned a lesson !

When I worked for Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows, Willies Hayes was the drummer; he played a blue Vistalite kit. Being a fan of things like the aforementioned rosewood Sonors, I was always amazed how good they sounded - especially since one ride tom was held together with duct tape!

I played for years with a brother-in-law who was a fabulous pedal steel player. Over time, by helping him, I learned how they come out of the case, and the drill to put them back in the case (releasing the pedal bar from the legs, undoing the rods, etc.).

So I went to a Steel Guitar show in Chattanooga and our good friend Doug Jernigan was playing. Afterwards, he was mobbed for signing his CD's, advice, etc. So while he's tied up, I look over and there's his steel (double-neck Zum, 10 pedals, six knee levers, and two lifts, sheesh!), in front of his open, empty case. So . . . . I packed it for him, but left the lid up. Eventually he turns and comes over, stops, and says,'WHO packed my steel?' I replied that I had, and he says,'Oh yeah, you've been packing Junior's, haven't you?' 'Yes, Sir !' He says, 'So you put the legs in rubber-end first?' 'Sure did.'

I had a drummer who had a vintage tricolour Ludwig vistalite kit (red,orange,yellow) it was so cool and sounded great; who knew plexiglass was good for drums...in that band I became the master of amp Tetris;how to get all that gear in a minivan...tony

A true art, Tony. With that same band, we filled a 24' truck - and I do mean high and tight - but it wasn't reliable enough for out of town. One time we (the road crew) went to pick up a rental for a road trip, & discovered the road manager had reserved an 18' unit. We, of course called him to bitch; he said "Tough sh*t, deal with it; I'm not spending more". Yes, we fit 24' of gear into 18' of truck. And no, our thoughts about him were not "Gee, I'm glad he's so sure we're that good!"